The Readings at Mass this Sunday call to mind some memorable words of Pope Francis that, we must be missionary disciples of Jesus Christ. As Christ sent out the Apostles to preach the Gospel of salvation, so we too are asked to go out into the harvest and bring souls to Him. The world into which we go is, as Jesus warned them at the beginning, a hostile one. Even amongst Christians we find attitudes antipathetic to the Truth of the Gospel and teachings of the Church. Perhaps given the wide-spread confusion and disunity in our world, this should not surprise us. However, the Church exists as a family, and in any family there can be elements and members that cause discord. Whenever we find someone who is sick or where there is dysfunction in a family, the instinctive reaction of the other members is to surround them with love and compassion. When we act like this we are being Christ-like. Only from the starting point can we even think about how we may be better missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.

This Sunday evening we shall have our Parish Annual Meeting followed by the Garden Party which begins at 6.30pm in the Parish Centre. All Parishioners are cordially invited to this evening which is the annual way to celebrate the life of the Parish over the last year, look forward with hope to some new initiatives (like the Stewards of the Gospel project) and for me to express my gratitude for all of the prayerful support and help I receive. God bless you all!